The flicker of a torch was the only thing keeping them safe.
The young duo of monster hunters wandered through the forest, trying to flee.
What was supposed to be a simple incursion had turned into a nightmare.
A basic gathering mission had become one of survival.
"We need to get back to the village," Nor whispered. She dragged a makeshift stretcher behind her; her injured companion lay on it.
"Go... save yourself," Marco replied. A wound on his left leg made it impossible for him to walk. "If you keep dragging me, we'll both die."
Nor hesitated. She knew that if she left him, she might have a chance to escape.
"Sniff... it's not fair..." Her tearful eyes shimmered in the moonlight. "I couldn't live with myself if I let you die here."
The tears rolled down her cheeks.
But before they could touch the ground... they froze.
The torchlight flickered. The air turned cold. Dry.
"They're here..."
Nor stared into the darkness of the forest.
And it... stared back.
Dozens of blue eyes gleamed between the trees.
They were surrounded.
She slowly set down the stretcher. Gripped her sword, and braced for the worst.
Meanwhile, Marco readied his crossbow.
"I'll cover you. Run when you get the chance."
The snap of dry branches broke the silence. One. Then another. And another.
The shadows took shape.
From the gloom between the trunks, the beasts emerged.
Taller than a man, covered in dark blue scales and white feathers. They walked upright on muscular legs, with claws that looked like they could split stone.
Their curved beaks clicked softly, as if tasting the air.
Their eyes, icy blue, shone with predatory intelligence.
They stepped forward in perfect unison, as if responding to a single silent command.
As if they were one.
Each step they took froze the ground beneath. The grass withered.
The torch shrank even further, now just a flickering spark in the darkness.
White breath poured from the hunters' mouths. They were breathing ice.
Nor stepped back instinctively. But forced herself to stay firm.
"What do we do?" she whispered, never taking her eyes off them.
Marco tightened his grip on the crossbow, aiming at the closest one.
"T-they're... Cryavas."
"Cryavas?" Nor repeated. "But... they're not supposed to leave the mountains."
Suddenly, one of the beasts raised its head and let out a high-pitched, metallic screech.
And then they attacked.
They lunged like a wave of living frost, claws outstretched, beaks open, ready to rip and tear.
Nor screamed and charged forward; sword raised, she deflected one of the incoming beasts.
Marco fired. A bolt whistled through the air and struck one in the neck.
It didn't fall. It only grew more enraged.
It dashed at him with absurd speed.
And suddenly, a clean slash spilled blood across the ground.
A head rolled to Nor's feet.
"Marco..." Nor murmured, staring at the severed head. "How the hell did you do that?"
"I... I didn't do anything."
Nor stepped back, confused.
The creature had just... fallen.
"What...?"
Another Cryava froze mid-step. Lifted its snout. Growled.
And its head dropped too...
The beasts began spinning around, sniffing the air.
Their glowing eyes full of tension, but unable to pinpoint a target.
Ice cracked beneath nervous claws.
One by one, they started to fall.
Heads rolled. Claws slashed at the air, searching for an enemy they couldn't see, hear, or smell.
Panic spread among the beasts.
Some screeched. Others tried to flee into the forest.
But none escaped.
An invisible shadow hunted among them, a predator among blind prey.
One by one, the Cryavas fell.
Heads hit the ground. The soil turned blue with blood.
Not a single roar warned of the strike.
Everything happened silently. Invisibly. With deadly precision.
Until the final body dropped.
And the forest fell silent.
Only the trembling torch flame remained.
Nor stood frozen, sword lowered, her face pale and stunned.
Marco could barely breathe, his hands clenched tightly around his crossbow.
They both scanned the woods, waiting for something—anything—to emerge from the trees.
But nothing moved.
Until something appeared right in front of Marco.
He hadn't heard it. Hadn't seen it coming.
It was just there. Crouched.
Less than a meter away.
The figure was human. But only half.
A scythe made of black bone rested on its back.
The first thing Marco saw was a skull.
A large mask with curved horns, like those of a ram.
The skull's empty black eyes stared directly at him.
He felt his heart stop.
His body wouldn't respond. Not a single muscle.
He tried to scream, but only air escaped.
"N-Nor..." he whispered, barely audible, eyes still locked on the thing.
She turned instantly, sword pointed toward it.
"Are you... a hunter?"
The skull turned toward her for a second, then back to Marco.
It looked at his wounded leg, raised a finger... and touched it.
"AAAGHH!" Marco screamed, startled by the sudden, sharp pain. "What the hell are you doing?!"
A small reptile appeared on the figure's shoulder, crawled down his arm, and approached Marco.
It opened its mouth, and a long tongue shot out toward the wound.
Nor tensed immediately.
"Get away from him!" she snapped, stepping forward, sword raised to strike.
"Wait!" Marco said, lifting a hand toward Nor. "The pain... it's going away."
Meanwhile, the masked figure stood.
Walked toward Nor.
Stopped in front of her and sniffed.
"He... is a human male, just like me," he said, pointing at Marco. "But you... sniff... sniff... you smell different. What are you?"
Nor narrowed her eyes, still not lowering the sword.
"What kind of question is that? I'm a woman, dumbass."
"Woman dumbass?" he repeated, tilting his head with curiosity.
"Are you messing with me right now?"
"I'm not touching you."
"It's a figure of speech!"
"What is a figure of speech?"
"Forget it..." she sighed, lowering her sword slightly.
Behind him, Marco let out a raspy laugh.
"Ha... ha... hey, 'woman dumbass.' This thing is amazing..." he said, watching the little reptile.
Nor snorted but couldn't help smiling at the sight of Marco laughing.
She looked at his leg and the creature, still lapping at the wound.
She watched it slowly close. The bleeding had stopped.
New skin pulsed, as if it had bloomed from nowhere.
But the moment of peace didn't last.
The cold returned.
Stronger.
Heavier.
Like pressure crushing their chests.
Thum.
A dull, distant thud.
Thum.
The earth barely trembled, but it echoed in their bones.
Thum.
The trees groaned with a low creak.
The small reptile snapped its head up. Its tongue retracted instantly.
The masked figure tensed.
His skin bristled.
He was no longer looking at Nor or Marco.
His eyes, hidden behind the skull, were fixed deep into the forest.
"It's here," he whispered.
Nor felt the temperature drop another degree.
The fog from her breath grew dense, slow, as if time itself had frozen.
"Woman dumbass, go to the wounded one. Saril will hide you," the masked one said, grabbing his scythe.
Nor blinked.
"What?"
CRACK.
A branch snapped in the distance, but the sound echoed like an entire tree falling.
"Go! The Alpha is mine..."
And then, from the depths of the forest...
...something answered.
A low roar, filled with icy intelligence.
Nor's heart skipped a beat.
And the torch, finally... went out.